Abstract In a world marked by uncertainty and accelerating change, there is a growing need for tools that help individuals understand how they relate to the possible. Building on recent work proposing “Possibilities Literacy” as a set of competencies for perceiving, generating, engaging with and ethically guiding possibilities, this article introduces the Possibilities Literacy Questionnaire (PoLiQu). Rather than a validated psychometric instrument, PoLiQu is conceived as a reflective tool designed to support self-understanding, dialogue and personal or group development. Its fifteen items correspond directly to the fifteen dimensions of the Possibilities Literacy framework: Perception, Crafting, Engagement, Stewardship, and Mindsets, each explored through Constraints, Alternatives, and Agency. The questionnaire invites respondents to reflect on their behaviours rather than underlying traits, using understandable response options such as “often”, “sometimes” or “rarely”. It can be completed in multiple ways: assessing one’s current practices, one’s aspirations, and the behaviours expected by others. PoLiQu can also be used relationally—i.e., completed with or for others—or as an interview guide that supports rich qualitative exploration. By proposing a tool that prioritises reflection rather than measurement, PoLiQu contributes to an emerging family of creativityoriented, socioculturally grounded instruments that aim not to categorise individuals but to expand their horizon of possibility. Its potential applications range from education and organisational development to therapy, coaching, and community work.
Abstract As Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) continues to evolve, creativity has become a cornerstone for generating innovative and user-centered design solutions. Central to fostering this creativity is empathy, a core factor that enables designers to deeply understand and respond to users’ needs and perspectives. This qualitative study investigates how HCI professionals conceptualize and apply empathy in their routine work, with particular attention to its interaction with intrinsic and prosocial motivation throughout the creative processes. Using semi-structured interviews with 15 practitioners from diverse domains, thematic analysis was conducted to explore how empathy is embedded in their understanding of creativity and integrated into both theory and practice. Three overarching themes emerged, identifying real-life problems , enriching experiences , and creating greater value , each corresponding to distinct stages of the creative process. Participants described empathy as a dynamic link between themselves and users, with cognitive and affective components playing complementary roles across different phases of their work. These empathic engagements were found to synergize with intrinsic and prosocial motivation, fostering user-oriented creative solutions. The findings highlight how empathy and motivation jointly shape creativity in HCI practice, extending the Componential Model of Creativity. The study suggests the need for training programs that cultivate empathy and motivation as core competencies in HCI education and industry, thus reinforcing the creative process and human-centered design.
Abstract The article presents the implementation process and outcomes of the Creativity Compass programme, delivered as a nationwide educational festival aimed at developing students’ creativity and cultural competences, while also supporting teachers in designing innovative teaching activities rooted in cultural heritage. Fifty primary schools from across Poland participated in the festival, titled “ Compass of Creativity: Explorers of Culture ” ( N = 50 educators). As part of the school-based activities, 286 workshops were conducted using both workshop outlines provided by the programme and original creativity-development activity scripts designed by educators who participated in the project. A total of 2,341 pupils took part in the workshops. Educators were prepared for the event in a hybrid format. It included an asynchronous component in the form of training podcasts, as well as a two-day, in-person training course focused on the Creativity Compass teaching approach and selected tools for teaching creativity. The article is narrative and analytical in nature, and it focuses on the implementation model, the scale of activities, and solutions that support the transfer of creativity-development approaches into school practice. The conclusions drawn from the project implementation highlight the value of a hybrid model of teacher training, the flexible adaptation of the programme’s core assumptions to school conditions, and the strengthening of educators’ agency through the reflective co-creation of teaching materials.
Abstract This study explores the relationship between digital transformation and psychological well-being in Ukraine’s higher choreographic education amid ongoing geopolitical instability. In the context of global digitalisation in the arts, it examines how digital competence and technology acceptance shape autonomy, engagement, and creative self-efficacy among students and teaching staff. A mixed-methods design was applied. The sample comprised 212 participants (162 students and 50 teachers) from four Ukrainian higher choreographic institutions. Data were collected using standardised instruments, including the Digital Competence Profiler (DCP), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scales, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (Student Version), the Creative Self-Efficacy Scale, and selected subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The results revealed significant positive correlations between digital competence, perceived usefulness of technology, and psychological well-being indicators, such as autonomy and personal growth. Regression analysis showed that perceived usefulness was the strongest predictor of autonomy among teachers. Students with higher digital competence demonstrated greater engagement and higher creative self-efficacy. Qualitative findings highlighted the role of digital tools as both pedagogical resources and psychosocial supports. However, regional disparities exposed structural digital inequalities that adversely affected well-being. Digitalisation enhances access, engagement, and creative development in choreographic education, yet its benefits depend on equitable infrastructure and faculty training. Integrating technological equity with psychological resilience is essential for sustainable development of culturally grounded and globally competitive dance education in Ukraine.
Abstract Creative imagination plays a crucial role in schools, enhancing students’ ability to think critically and innovate. By integrating imaginative practices into the curriculum, educators can inspire a love for learning and help students develop essential skills for the future. This focus on creativity not only enriches the educational experience but also fosters a vibrant, dynamic learning environment. This study established a model using structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between creative imagination and imagination factors in the context of gifted students. The measurement model survives the validity and reliability test. The structural model has shown acceptable goodness of fit tests. The instruments were administered to 262 gifted students in Bahrain’s schools. The study concludes that creative imagination has a significant relationship with some imagination factors, and found a positive relationship between creative imagination and Imagination and dreams, Transmission of Imaginary experiences, and Time-related imagination.
Abstract Musical creativity has been conceptualised in various ways in the literature, including through components often described as exploration, improvisation, and creation. However, little is known about how practitioners understand musical creativity, particularly in Asian educational settings. This study investigated Hong Kong kindergarten practitioners’ understanding of musical creativity, analysing the alignment between their theoretical and practical understandings. Using qualitative methods, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 kindergarten teachers and 10 principals. We asked them to (1) provide an example of a musical activity that fostered children’s creativity (practice) and (2) justify why the proposed activity could nurture children’s creativity (theory). Content analysis was applied. The musical activities proposed by participants predominantly involved structured activities that focused on repetition, compliance with the teacher’s instructions, and proficient singing of specific songs. While the activities proposed were rarely based on these components, practitioners alluded to them in their justifications. This divergence between theoretical and practical understandings of musical creativity could be attributed to training, policy, and cultural factors. We conclude that there is a need to further conceptualise the notion of musical creativity in Hong Kong and similar Asian contexts. Curriculum developers, teacher educators, and professional development providers are encouraged to identify musical activities that are culturally relevant and practically feasible to foster children’s creativity in kindergarten settings and develop training courses accordingly.
Creative and critical thinking skills are in high demand in 21 st -century society and schools should foster students’ creative potential all through their time in education. This study analyses results of an educational intervention in biology and geology based on the POPBL (problem-oriented and project-based learning) model to improve creative thinking of 83 students in year one of secondary education. To this end, the creativity variable was analysed using the CREA Creative Intelligence Test (Corbalán et al., 2015) with a pre-test/post-test design and ANCOVA was used to establish whether there was significant difference between the group taught using an active methodology and the group taught with a traditional one. Creativity scores and subject grades were used as covariates. Having matched initial creativity and performance values, the results showed that the designed intervention was effective in improving creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Classroom learning provides an ideal opportunity for students, moderated cognitively and emotionally by the teacher, to master knowledge of the content and creatively apply that knowledge, an important skill for success in any 21 st century environment.
Abstract The Creative Poland program represents a large-scale, evidence-based educational initiative designed to foster creativity and cross-cultural competencies in primary school children, aged 8–9. Developed by a team of psychologists and educators, the program integrates structured creativity training with exposure to diverse cultural practices, promoting divergent thinking, narrative imagination, cognitive empathy, and openness to experience. Over the course of one academic year, 100 trained teachers implemented the program in their classrooms, engaging over 2,000 students across urban and rural schools throughout Poland. Teachers received a two-day workshop, ongoing online support, and detailed instructional materials to ensure fidelity of implementation. Program effectiveness was rigorously evaluated in a longitudinal design using a control group of similar size, confirming positive impact of the training on students’ creative and cognitive-empathic abilities. Program structure combined motivational, creative, and exploratory stages, emphasizing active participation, idea generation, and cultural reflection. Dissemination included freely accessible manuals and resources, conferences, and presentations to educators, ensuring sustainability and scalability. Preliminary observations indicate high levels of engagement, enhanced creative expression, and increased cognitive empathy among students, highlighting the program’s potential as a model for applied interventions that simultaneously cultivate creativity and intercultural understanding in primary education settings.
The rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape of human cognition, education, and society. This position paper explores the implications of generative AI for human intelligence, creativity, and wisdom, with a particular focus on educational contexts. Drawing on cultural, psychological, and educational theories—especially the framework of adaptive intelligence and the Teaching for Active Concerned Citizenship and Ethical Leadership (ACCEL) model—we argue that AI challenges foundational human cognitive abilities by automating tasks traditionally central to learning and intellectual, creative and ethical development. We examine how AI reshapes the cultural attributes of human intelligence and creativity—context dependence, dynamism, and modifiability—highlighting both the potential for cognitive amplification and the risks of cognitive deskilling. The paper also addresses the erosion of critical thinking and the ethical dilemmas posed by AI’s integration into education. While acknowledging the benefits of AI, such as personalized learning and enhanced productivity, we caution against overreliance and the uncritical adoption of AI-generated outputs. We advocate for an educational response that prioritizes the cultivation of analytical, creative, and ethical reasoning—skills that remain uniquely human and essential for democratic citizenship. The paper concludes by examining the motivational forces driving AI development and adoption, and by calling for a renewed commitment to preserving human autonomy, intellectual integrity, and wisdom in an increasingly machine-mediated world. Ultimately, the future of human intelligence and creativity in the age of AI will depend not only on technological advances but on the values and educational practices we choose to uphold.
Abstract This study explores how executive cognitive functioning and motivational orientation influence creativity among contemporary dance students in Ukrainian higher education institutions. It aims to identify cognitive mediators of creativity, distinguish between pedagogical environments, and provide guidance for rethinking dance education amid crisis and innovation. A mixed-method design was used, combining psychometric scales, creativity tasks, and neurocognitive diagnostics. Sixty undergraduate and postgraduate students were assigned to either a digitally integrated (experimental-like) or traditional (control-like) learning environment. Key tools included the Creative Thinking Test for Dance, the Dance Learning Motivation Scale, and executive functioning assessments. Quantitative methods involved t-tests, ANOVAs, correlations, and structural equation modelling, while qualitative responses were thematically analysed. Findings show that intrinsic and identified motivation positively correlate with creativity, with executive functioning acting as a partial mediator. SEM confirmed an indirect path from motivation to creativity via executive control. Although the experimental-like group reported higher teaching effectiveness and showed greater neurocognitive engagement, creativity levels between groups did not differ significantly, highlighting that digital tools alone are insufficient without cognitive and motivational support. The results align with international research and emphasize the need for dance education to foster artistic freedom, intellectual individualization, and embodied inquiry. Ukrainian HEIs are well-positioned to lead in developing holistic, student-centred approaches to choreography education in the context of post-crisis renewal and digital transformation.
This study aimed to test how individuals’ motivational characteristics may mediate the relations of plurilingualism/pluriculturalism with divergent thinking. Two hundred sixty-one individuals were recruited using a simple random sampling method. Data collection included assessments of plurilingual experience (measured by the abridged version of Multilingual and Multicultural Experience Questionnaire), multicultural experience and desire (measured by Multicultural Experience Questionnaire), intercultural competence (measured by Integrative Intercultural Competence Survey), motivational characteristics (measured by The Scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students), and divergent thinking (measured by Unusual Uses test). Regression analyses using mediation models demonstrated that motivational characteristics mediate the association between intercultural competence and divergent thinking components. Motivational characteristics also mediate between multicultural experience/desire and divergent thinking components. By introducing motivational characteristics as a mediating factor, these findings can further explain the underlying mechanism of plurilingual creativity.
Since creativity is considered a key competence in the 21st century, its development deserves special attention in education. Research has shown that the key to fostering creativity lies in the manner in which the teacher creates a classroom environment that encourages it, and the teaching methods employed to deliver the curriculum. Skills related to creativity develop best when student-centered teaching methods are applied. The objective of the present study is to examine the impact of a creative atmosphere and the integration of student-centered approaches on the creativity of university students enrolled in a music-based fundamental movement course. Altogether, 34 university students participated in the elective, music-based fundamental movement course, which was based on Rudolf Laban’s movement analysis system. The course lasted 13 weeks, with one 90-minute session per week. The teaching methodology was student-centered. The level of creativity was assessed using the Tóth Creativivty Assessment Scale (Tóth & Király, 2006). The creative learning process was evaluated through fundamental movement sequence (Mikó et al., 2024). Creative climate was surveyed using the School Creative Climate Questionnaire (Péter-Szarka et al., 2015). By the end of the course, significant changes were observed in the complexity ( p < 0.001), thinking ( p = 0.023), dominance ( p = 0.013), and self-actualization ( p = 0.006) sub-factors. Furthermore, by the end of the course participants had assembled significantly more varied ( p = 0.022) choreography of fundamental movement. The results of the creative climate questionnaire demonstrate the group’s considerable influence in shaping the prevailing climate. In conclusion, our study reveals that even a 13-week course can induce positive changes in creativity.
Abstract Creativity is one of the 21st century skills that will be needed in the future labor market. Prior studies suggest that individuals more willing to take socially acceptable and constructive risks are more likely to exhibit creative behavior. A psychologically safe learning environment may foster this positive risk-taking and creativity. However, to-date, many questions remain unanswered about this relationship among primary school children, as teachers vary in how they perceive and engage with positive risk-taking. Therefore, this study examines the relationship between positive risk-taking and creativity among Grade 6 children, and the moderating role of psychological safety in the classroom. A quantitative survey investigates this relationship among 242 Dutch Grade 6 children by using self-reported positive risk-taking and psychological safety measures combined with a divergent thinking task. The results indicated that positive risk-taking is positively related to children’s originality, an indicator of divergent thinking, which is the ability to generate novel and surprising solutions to a given problem. Yet, no moderating effect was found between psychological safety and the relationship between positive risk-taking and creativity. Together, these findings illustrate that it is essential to encourage positive risk-taking in classrooms to develop more originality in children at an early age.
The expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has brought about new opportunities and challenges for teachers and students. These tools have the potential to reshape teaching and stimulate both students’ and teachers’ creativity. In 21st-century education, creativity emerges as a key skill that encompasses problem-solving, innovation, adaptability, critical thinking, and cognitive development. AI tools also provide personalized assistance and feedback as well as customized study materials. Moreover, they have proven beneficial in cultivating critical thinking and enhancing students’ research skills. Instead of questioning teachers’ preparedness for AI technologies, the focus should be on discovering ways to effectively and creatively integrate these tools into the classroom. This paper explores the possibilities of implementing generative AI tools to promote students’ creativity, thus enhancing the overall quality of teaching. In the Croatian educational system, similarly to Poland, school pedagogues should encourage positive changes within the school culture. Therefore, this paper also underscores the role of school pedagogues in bridging the gap between teachers and AI tools as an educational innovation. School pedagogues should be instrumental in supporting teachers during the integration of AI tools into their teaching by showcasing practical applications and emphasizing potential benefits for student engagement and learning outcomes. In this capacity, school pedagogues bear the responsibility of fostering a reflective and critical approach towards AI tools, advocating creative yet responsible use of technology in the classroom.
Creativity has been identified as one of the top three most essential skills of the 21st century. The ability to think creatively is of paramount importance in all countries and nations. However, not every culture perceives creativity and creative people in the same way. Investigating cultural variations in relation to creativity can help clarify the nature of the concept. The resulting insight can then inform the development of more appropriate educational approaches that promote this skill. It is well documented that teachers are important gatekeepers in the development of students’ creative potentials. That is why, this article aims to examine how cultural values influence teachers’ perceptions of creativity across various cultural contexts, with a specific focus on comparing perceptions between individualistic and communitarian cultures. To achieve this aim, we systematically surveyed the literature and analyzed 47 empirical studies conducted in a wide range of cultural contexts between the years 2010 and 2024. The findings revealed that individualistic cultures relate creativity to originality, independence, risk taking, and freedom, while communitarian cultures tend to focus on the appropriateness of ideas, cooperation among students, and respect of the social norms. Implications of these findings for education and suggestions for further research are discussed.
This systematic review aimed to summarize existing empirical studies on the relationship between creativity and emotional intelligence (EI) in adults, focusing on the assessment methods used for these constructs. Following the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), 23 empirical articles were selected from PubMed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar databases. The most common approach for assessing creativity was through processes, while EI was often measured as a skill. Most of the reviewed studies showed a positive and significant correlation between EI and creativity. However, it was noted that using the trait approach to measure EI, especially when combined with self-report measures, consistently demonstrated inter-construct relationship. Implications of the study highlight the importance of developing emotional competencies to enhance creativity and personal success in social contexts.
In one experiment, we randomly assigned participants to either generate one or three ideas to open a new business. Participants were instructed that the ideas needed to be original and effective. Afterward, participants completed a battery of questionnaires assessing metacognitive feelings, comparative evaluations of the idea generated, and some demographics. Participants in the one-idea condition generated more original ideas only when compared to the first idea generated by participants in the three-idea condition. When we made a comparison between the most original and effective idea generated in the three-idea condition, participants in the three-idea condition generated more original and effective ideas than participants in the one-idea condition. Participants in the three-idea condition were not aware that they had generated more original and effective ideas than what they thought by selecting their most creative idea. The serial order effect was supported for evaluations of originality. Conversely, the evaluations of effectiveness showed the opposite pattern. All results were interpreted in light of creative metacogniton.
In our paper, we investigate whether there is a relationship between well-being and adaptive-convergent and exaptive-divergent thinking. In other words, the central question of our paper is to what extent different coping strategies, borrowed from evolutionary biology, influence the level of subjective well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. For the empirical examination of our question, we collected data from 998 individuals, representing the Hungarian population over 18 years of age. To examine the relationships between the factors under investigation, we built four regression models. Our results show that well-being is enhanced by both adaptive-convergent (logical, systematic) and exaptive-divergent (creative, innovative) thinking. Remarkably, these cognitive strategies had a stronger effect on well-being in terms of standardized beta coefficients than age, sex, and even relationship status, highlighting their crucial role in promoting subjective well-being. This relationship is valid even when the effects of the coronavirus epidemic on well-being are excluded, and divergent thinking also helps to make people less affected by the pandemic. These findings underscore the importance of cultivating cognitive flexibility and the capacity to engage in both systematic problem-solving and creative exploration for maintaining and enhancing well-being, particularly in the face of major societal challenges.
Creativity in education is universally valued, but the diversity of theories and directions in the field of creativity studies is challenging for practitioners to understand and apply in classrooms. In this conceptual article and position paper, we propose a unified educational approach to creativity based on the philosophical ideas of Alfred North Whitehead and John Dewey. Whitehead’s notion of concrescence—where diverse experiences and resources are integrated into a coherent whole—alongside Dewey’s pragmatic emphasis on experiential learning, provides a robust foundation for enabling creativity in educational settings. Drawing upon these stances, we offer a set of three principles derived from the integration of Whitehead’s and Dewey’s thoughts, aimed at enhancing the practical application of creativity in education. These principles focus on designing learning environments that foster creativity and align with learners’ natural developmental tendencies, and the processual nature of learning. As a plausible practice example, we apply these principles within Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education, showcasing a practical thought experiment that applied the three integration principles and merges experiential learning and the integration of varied experiences and resources. This approach emphasizes the role of teachers as designers of learning environments that foster creativity. A design-based approach can inform curriculum development, teaching methods, and classroom management, influencing research, practice, and policy. By rethinking creativity through the integration of Whitehead and Dewey, educators, researchers, and policymakers can develop more coherent strategies that promote creativity more centrally in the educational process, addressing the need for innovative and adaptive thinking in students.
Abstract Malevolent creativity uses creative thinking for harmful or destructive goals, displaying characteristics of originality and effectiveness, but with harmful (i.e., malevolent) intent. In the present work, we hypothesized that one of the main components of creative potential in malevolent scenarios is moral disengagement, which should modulate the association between originality and malevolence in the generation of new ideas. The current study aimed at exploring malevolent creative potential in a sample of 190 participants, both in neutral everyday situations and in scenarios evoking malevolent intentions. The results showed that moral disengagement was indeed associated with a higher rate of malevolent creative behaviors as well as with a higher ability to produce original solutions, especially in scenarios requiring malevolent intentions. Particularly, moral disengagement proved to be the moderator between malevolence and originality of participants’ responses. Specifically, in malevolent scenarios, results revealed an association between malevolence and originality but only at medium or high levels of moral disengagement. In conclusion, moral disengagement represents a pivotal resource to succeed in creativity in scenarios eliciting malevolent intentions.
